The Butterfly Summer: From the Sunday Times bestselling author of THE GARDEN OF LOST AND FOUND and THE WILDFLOWERS

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The plot is much alike a minestrone (rather than a gourmet dish), only, one cooked with whatever was left in the fridge. Unplanned, or made up along the way in a rush, by throwing in a pot ingredients, attempting to create its flavour. It never pays off. Grasslands are an incredibly valuable habitat for many of the UK’s moths and butterflies. Semi-natural grassland, pasture, arable land, urban parkland and any areas with rough unmanaged grass will all support a variety of butterfly species. In the height of summer these areas can be teeming with Skippers, Common Blues, Ringlets and Meadow Browns. Be sure to inspect any flowering plants (particularly thistles and knapweeds) as these can act as vital nectaring points for many butterflies. Pay close attention for the fast and subtle movements of smaller species as these can often disappear against such a busy environment. A prime example of this is the Small Copper which is notoriously hard to spot due to its minute size, fast flight and discrete colouration (when its wings are closed). LOOK OUT FOR: It is the third year in a row that the count has recorded its lowest-ever average abundance, a worrying sign that once-common flying insects are continuing to disappear from Britain. But the dry weather affected caterpillars that feed on grasses that withered and died prematurely in the hot, dry conditions. The gatekeeper, small skipper and Essex skipper all fell by more than 20% on the previous year. Thanks to Butterfly Conservation for letting us use their images throughout this article. For more information on UK butterflies and how you can help them, please visit Butterfly Conservation.org. Here you will find a wealth of information to help you find and identify butterflies and moths.

This book tells the story of Nina Parr and especially the young woman discovering part of her family she has never known. What happened in the past and why is it all connected to Keepsake a mysterious house in Cornwall?! UT all starts when Nina meets a woman she doesn’t know in the library. That woman knows her and she wants Nina to discover her family’s legacy. Nina never knew her dad George Parr, who died on a jungle expedition. In addition to that she is divorced already, married at 19 and is now still friends with Sebastian. Nina is also still missing the enigmatic woman who lived in the top floor flat of their house Mrs.Poll. Mrs.Poll was there when her mother was not she told her stories, cared for her and treated her like a daughter. A book called Nina and the Butterflies holds a special place in Nina’s heart and will be forever associated with Mrs.Poll. There is not a lot you can specifically say about this story without giving away crucial plot points. Surprises are thrown in when you least expect it and what you believed to be true you find yourself questioning at every corner. The author made excellent use of the past as an aid to explaining circumstances and events in the present and how characters came to be who they were or why they acted as they did. There was one character that shall remain nameless who just came across as an utter wimp with no guts or strength of character at all. This person was almost like a puppy wanting to do its best to please their new owner but the actions of said person in my mind left an awful lot to be desired and I felt Nina was too ready and willing to accept an explanation that was weak and which has led to unnecessary suffering.

Truly great butterfly years are the third good summer in a row – so the abundance of butterflies of in 1976 was helped by fine summers in 74 and 75,” said Oates. Dr Richard Fox, head of science for Butterfly Conservation, said: “In general, warm, sunny weather is good for butterflies as they can be active, finding food, mating and laying eggs. Yet despite the rise in records of continental European species such as the large tortoiseshell, long-tailed blue and the spectacular queen of Spain fritillary during the past decade, none has yet managed to establish permanent breeding populations here. At university I read Classical Studies, which is a great way of finding out that the world doesn't change much and people make the same mistakes but it's interesting to look at why. I was at Bristol, and i loved the city, making new friends, being a new person. One piece of good news was the widespread appearance this summer of a day-flying moth, the Jersey tiger, which appears to be thriving in the changing climate and breeds in gardens. Its numbers rose by 136.5%.

Overall, the data reveals that 2022 was an average year for butterflies although Fox described it as “a year of two halves” with good numbers of butterflies in early summer but then greatly reduced abundance after the heatwave and drought. Harriet Evans really “brings you home” with this book. The writing is full of emotions, depth and mystery. I loved how vividly Harriet described all the places, unfortunately I didn’t feel the same with the story. It was quite clear in the end, but the way to get there was complicated and stony. The idea behind it all is fab and I wish I was more gripped, but something was missing for me. I think clearer connections and a flowing storyline would have helped for me. I guess that could be quite different for other readers, but that’s how I felt. Prof Tom Brereton of Butterfly Conservation said: “There were not as many butterflies around as we might have expected given the fabulous weather over much of the butterfly season, and overall, 2018 ranked as barely better than average.

The “beast from the east” and chilly February and March may also have helped the survival of eggs, caterpillars and chrysalises, which rot or are parasitised in mild winters.